Dysecting Leadership

By Avril Henry

Avril Henry; generational expert and author of the best seller Leadership Revelations Australian Perspective: Reflections from Outstanding Leaders has met with some of Australia’s greatest leaders over the past year. From many different walks of life, different industries and different organisations these leaders share nine identifiable characteristics that have brought them to their respective positions today.

Appetite for learning and developing others

Good Leaders recognise that taking risks and overcoming challenge enables self-development and ongoing development of team members. They are able to identify their own skills “gaps”, and then proactively seek opportunities to develop those skills, or model the behaviours from leaders who already possess those skills. Good leaders have an insatiable desire for learning new things that will enable more effective leadership.

Change Enablers

To lead any change effectively requires a high level of self-awareness, and being comfortable with change at both a personal and professional level. Good leaders possess the influencing skills necessary to convince sceptical people of the need for real, sustainable change – creating something new, rather than building solutions on a foundation of past successes and behaviours. This will require leaders to have both insight and courage to liberate the human spirit.

Coach people

Good leaders take the time to encourage, mentor, coach and develop their people, recognising this as one of the most important contributions they can make to the organisation. Leaders also understand the importance of coaching poor performers where they believe the employees have the potential to learn, succeed or change behaviour.

Communication through listening

Listening is one of the most important characteristics of a good leader. Understanding the aspirations of each team member or staff member and the reasons for their aspirations are important. This can be done by watching behaviour and listening carefully. Even more - allow yourself to listen to trusted advisors and even your own inner voice when leading your team.

Courage

Good leaders have the courage to face their fears, call it by name and then draw on their own inner strength to do what needs to be done. Facing and managing your fear is a sign of true leadership.

Integrity

Integrity is consistently seen by employees as the number one requirement they have of their leaders. It is often defined in leadership terms as “leaders who do what they say they will do”.

Inspire and motivate people

Good leaders are able to motivate staff to not only give their best, but where staff are motivated and inspired, they become the organisation’s best “marketing tool”. Great Leaders inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things, due to their belief and trust in their people.

Lead by example

People want to work for leaders whom they can trust, and who trust them in return; leaders who truly “walk the talk”, and who don’t simply espouse the value of leading by example. A consistent theme expressed by many leaders in the book was the concept of “leading from behind”. Many knew they were effective leaders by how successful there respective teams were when each was out of the workplace.

Value diversity

Good leaders seek to hire people who are not carbon copies of themselves; people who are different to them, challenge them, have new skills and experience, and are willing to step out of their comfort zone. Organisations should celebrate diversity rather than uniformity.

Leadership Revelations Australian Perspective: Reflections from Outstanding Leaders by Avril Henry is available in all good bookstores

Distributed by CCH Australia Limited.

Here’s just a small sample of the leaders who share their inspiration:
Ann Sherry, CEO Westpac NZ
General Peter Cosgrove, Chief of the Defence Force
Terry Davis, CEO, Coca-Cola Amatil
Wendy McCarthy, University of Canberra
Ian Kiernan AO, Chairman, Clean Up Australia Ltd
Dr Peter Shergold, Secretary, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
Guy Russo, CEO, McDonalds Australia
Helen Trinca, Editor AFR Boss, Australian Financial Review
David Butcher, CEO, World Wide Fund for Nature
Ian Carter, CEO, Anglicare Western Australia
Prof. Ed Davis, Dean, Economic & Financial Studies, Macquarie University